Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill debate continues

14 March 2008

108 UK academic professors (including scientists, lawyers, philosophers and theologians) have written to the Times newspaper calling for the Prime minister Gordon Brown to allow Members of Parliament (MPs) a free vote in the House of Commons on the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill. Proposed amendments to this legislation will be voted on, and the writers have said that ‘conscience voting’ (ie. not dictated by the political party, but left to the individual consciences of the MPs) should be maintained for bioethical issues such as this, despite the fact that they themselves did not share a common position on the proposals.Presently, MPs have been given permission to abstain from voting, but not to vote according to their own preferences; MPs have also been calling for a free vote (see BBC news).